I like games which are interactive novels or movies. L.A. Noire neatly meets this criteria and brilliantly recreates a colourful period of L.A.'s history.
I have never seen a game populated by believable characters who inspire compassion in the player. Nor have I seen real faces with real emotions, from the slight twitch of nervousness to red-faced, bulging eyes of fear.
I didn't pay this game for its challenges or playablity. I want to be immersed in a world and interact with the environment. I want a riveting story that rings true.
L.A. Noire delivers this and then some. I loved every second of this hard-boiled slice of life. In later years this game will definitely be looked back on as one of the most ground-breaking games of all time. It is the first game that I felt emotionally involved.
And it was a riveting experience.